By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has entered a strategic partnership with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) aimed to strengthen and enhance the performance of the country’s power sector.
This was made public on Tuesday in a statement signed by Mrs Ama Umoren,
Head, Communications & Protocol, NEMSA.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, MD/CEO, of NEMSA and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Engr Aliyu Tukur Tahir, reiterated the agency’s commitment to a strategic partnership with COREN during the official signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between NEMSA and COREN, held at COREN Headquarters in Abuja.
He described the MoU as a significant step toward fostering a robust and mutually beneficial relationship between both institutions, emphasising that the collaboration will enhance the effective delivery of their respective mandates, particularly in ensuring the safety of lives and property within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI.
“This partnership will enable us to consolidate efforts in promoting professionalism, accountability, and competence in the power sector,” Engr Aliyu stated. “By reinforcing COREN registration requirements for all individuals and firms applying for NEMSA certification, we are creating a framework that prioritises regulatory compliance and quality service delivery.”
He further noted that the agreement will facilitate efficient information sharing between both agencies, particularly on disciplinary actions and sanctions involving NEMSA-certified personnel and firms also registered with COREN.
“This will help improve transparency, enforcement, and adherence to industry standards,” he remarked.
On renewable energy, Engr Aliyu highlighted that the collaboration will promote skilled manpower development, address sector-specific engineering challenges, and uphold quality standards in certification and practices.
He also disclosed that COREN would be actively represented in NEMSA’s Competency Certification Panels, reinforcing fairness and shared responsibility in the certification process.
In his welcome address, the Registrar of COREN, Engr Okorie Austine Uche, assured stakeholders that the MoU would ensure engineering regulations within the power sector are aligned with COREN’s statutory framework.
He noted that the partnership marked a step forward in harmonising regulatory efforts to achieve a more structured and effective engineering ecosystem in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the event, the President of COREN, Engr Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, described the MoU as a milestone in COREN’s strategic realignment.
“COREN recognises the enormity of its mandate and views collaboration as a critical strategy in addressing regulatory and operational gaps,” he said.
Engr Abubakar further revealed that COREN was already set to commence the implementation of the partnership and had invited NEMSA to participate in several of its key committees including the Codes and Standards Committee, Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) Committee, the Engineering Investigative Panel, and the Disciplinary Tribunal—which addresses cases involving practitioners in the power sector.
He emphasised that NEMSA was expected to take a lead role in the tribunal.
The NEMSA-COREN partnership is poised to enhance service delivery and ensure the realisation of NEMSA’s mandate of providing stable, safe, reliable, and efficient electricity networks and power systems across Nigeria.